Members of Garden State Equality are showing marching in Trenton in 2009 to support gay marriage legislation. Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — New Jersey voters support giving same-sex couples the right to marry by a two-to-one margin, according to a poll released this morning.

The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,068 voters found 60 percent support a state law to allow same-sex marriage, while 31 percent oppose it.

The result is barely different from before the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred married gay couples from getting federal benefits. In March, 64 percent of New Jersey voters said they supported gay marriage while 30 percent opposed it.

The state Legislature last year passed a bill to allow gay marriage in New Jersey. But Gov. Chris Christie vetoed it, saying that although he personally opposes gay marriage voters should decide the issue in a ballot referendum instead.

New Jersey currently allows civil unions between gay couples, which are supposed to give them the same rights as marriage. But the Supreme Court ruling only affects marriages, leaving civil union couples without the federal benefits.

Garden State Equality, the state’s most influential gay rights organization, opposes putting the measure on the ballot because they believe civil rights should not be put up for a vote.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) have refused to put the question on the ballot and are working to gather the two-thirds of votes they need to override Christie’s veto.

In court, six gay couples are asking a judge to invalidate the state’s civil union law and give them the right to marry, arguing that the Supreme Court case has strengthened their claim that a civil unions do not provide the same protections as marriage.

The poll was conducted from July 2 to July 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.